Philippine Ferry Fire Death Toll Rises to 76 as 13 Remain Missing

 

Philippine rescuers have recovered 41 more charred remains from a passenger ferry that caught fire off the western Philippines, bringing the death toll to 76, authorities said Saturday.

Thirteen people remain unaccounted for, while forensic teams have begun the difficult process of identifying the victims.

The fire broke out aboard the MV June Aster near the end of its more than 20-hour journey from Manila to Coron in Palawan province. The vessel was carrying 132 people, including passengers and crew. Forty-three people survived the disaster. 

The latest remains were recovered after firefighters were finally able to enter parts of the badly damaged ferry. Thick smoke and extreme heat had previously prevented rescuers from reaching some areas of the vessel.

The bodies are being taken to a port in Coron, where temporary tents have been established for forensic teams to examine and identify the victims.

ALSO READ: France Train Derailment Injures 44 as Police Investigate Possible Sabotage

Responders wearing protective suits were seen carrying black body bags from a Philippine Coast Guard vessel as grieving relatives waited for information about loved ones who remain missing.

Among them was 37-year-old Anelyn Magbanua, whose husband had been returning to Coron after visiting their children in Manila.

“I hope he is not among the dead,” she said, expressing hope that he may have survived and reached another island.

Fire Destroyed Much of the Ferry

Images released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed extensive destruction inside the ferry. Steel bed frames in the economy accommodation area had been twisted by the intense heat and covered in ash, while remains were discovered among the debris.

Philippine Coast Guard official Geronimo Tuvilla said authorities’ immediate priorities were identifying the victims and determining what caused the fire.

According to the Maritime Industry Authority, survivor accounts indicated that two explosions were heard inside the vessel shortly before the fire erupted.

One survivor told GMA News that he initially saw a small amount of smoke before the fire rapidly spread through the ferry within seconds.

Authorities have not yet established what caused the explosions or whether they were directly responsible for the disaster.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: 5 Dead, 87 Missing After Ferry Catches Fire Off Philippines

Captain’s Fate Remains Unclear

Questions also remain over the fate of the ferry’s captain.

Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said she had received information that the captain was alive, but his name was not included on the list of 43 confirmed survivors.

The captain’s whereabouts therefore remain unclear as the investigation continues.

Authorities are conducting both a maritime safety investigation and a criminal investigation into the disaster, including questions about the actions of the captain and crew and whether emergency procedures were properly followed. 

Another Deadly Ferry Disaster in the Philippines

The tragedy is the latest in a long history of deadly maritime accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands where millions of people depend on ferries and other vessels to travel between islands.

The scale of the latest disaster has renewed concerns about maritime safety and emergency procedures aboard passenger vessels.

For grieving families, however, the immediate priority is receiving answers and learning the fate of relatives who remain missing.

Search, recovery and identification efforts are continuing as investigators work to determine exactly how the fire began and why it spread so quickly.